Snow melting machine.



v BEST AVAlLABLE COPY J. BINDL. snow MBLTING momma. APPLICATION TILED OUT. 8, 1910.

I Patented Jan. 10, 19 11.

I (I v oEST AVAILABLE COPY errand carton.

JOSEPH MEINDL', OF OREGON CITY, OREGON.

SN OW-MELTING ZMACHIN E.

Specification of Letters Patent. Patented Jan. 10, 191

Application filed October 8,1910. Serial No. 586,048.

To (LZZ whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JOSEPH MEINDL, residing at Oregon City, in the county of Clackamas and State of Oregon, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Portable Snow-Melting Machines, of which the following is a specification. My invention is an improved portable snow melting machine for moving snow and ice from streets, gutters and railroads and in its generic nature the invent on includes a wheeled vehicle having a shortturn gear operated from the" rear platform of the vehicle, a power plaint, j'transmission mechanism between the power plant and thedriving wheel's'of the vehicle, a hot air furnace,

a blower driven from the power plant to cre ate a forced draft in the furnace, a brine tank supported on the top of the furnace whereby the contents of the tank will be heated, a water elevator driven from the power plant for supplying the brine tank with water, a pumping mechanism forpumping water into th'efbr ne tank, "and st1rrin mec'hanism for keeping the salt in the brine'tank from settling, together with a directing nozzle for directing the heated air and brine onto the snow and ice to melt the same. p

In its more subordinate nature, the invention also includes those novel details of construction, "combination and arrangement of parts, all of which will be first fully described, then be specifically pointed out in the appended claims, and illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which;

Figure 1, is a perspective View illustrating my invention in use. Fig. 2, is 'a top plan view of my apparatus. Fig. 3,. is a central vertical longitudinal section on the line 33 on Fig. 2. Fig. 4, is a horizontal section on the line H of Fig. 3. Fig. 5, is an enlarged detail section of the ball and socket joint for the distributing nozzle.

Fig. 6, is an enlarged detail vertical sec-f tion of the upper end of the waterelevator."

Referring now to the accompanying drawings in which like letters and numerals-of reference indicate like parts in all of the.

figures, 1 is the platform of the vehicle, in

shaft 3 turns.

bearing brackets 2 of which the rear driving The front shaft 6 is" stationarily. held in;

is secured. The rod 12 meshes with a ge 11 on the steering post 10 whose lower e1 is mounted in a bearing 9 and whose upp end carries a turn wheel 13, as clearly shov in the drawings.

'At the rear of the inachine is a platfor 14 supported on brackets 15, on which t: driver of the vehicle maystand.

jf Thepower plant consists of a gasolene e gine16, and gasolene tank 17 which ispipt up withthe engine 16 through piping 1 The engine shaft 19 projects into a tran mission gear case and carries a shiftab clutch member 20. Gears 2l2'2 are loose: mounted on the shaft 19, one at each side i the clutch member 20 and are adapted to l operatively connected with the shaft by tl clutch member 20 which is slid into engag ment' with either'ofthe 'gears' 21' 22 by lever 26. Y Q A drivenshaft 23 carries gears 24.25 t .mesh respectively with the gears22 2-l an the driven shaft 23' 'projects initfof.thegea Icase' '(seeIFig. 2)}, andl'c esfaj-fspr ocket. 2 around which aneiidless. hain 29 passes, th chain 29 also passing fa'round alsprocket 2 on the drive shaft 3.of '.thefi ehicle.

30 is the hot air furnace which has a grat 31 on which. a fire is built in the fire cham ber 32 and it is also provided with an as] box 33 and an air inlet 34 from. the annula chamber 36 into which air is forced by th centrifugal pump 35 whose shaft 37 i driven from the power shaft extension 41 of the engine thro gh the medium of sprocket chain 38 winch passesl ,around t. sprocket on the shaft 37 andlfaround sprocket 39 on the shaft 48. '40 "s the brine tank which is, mounted over the furnace 30 whereby the heat of ti," furnace may keep the brine in the tank warm. In order to prevent settlin of ti :salt, a stirringniechani'sm is provi ed this consis'ts of" the shaft 41 carrying padidles' 42 and driven from a countershaft 45 through gears 43 and 44, the shaft 45 re- ;ceiving its motion through a belt or chain 546 that passes over a pulley or sprocket 47 onthe shaft'48'l 1 l,

f 49 is a pump driven from the shaft 48 which carries a loose gear 53 which is adapted to .be lockedto the shaft 48 by a shiftable '1 1e pump 19 has an inlet pipe 51 to which N155 the feed pipe from the source of water gupply, (not shown) may be coupled.

'52 is a pipe leading from the pump 51 hto the brine tank 40, suitable back check alves 4:949 being provided for the pump "9 as to maintain a uni-directional flow of later. The pump has its rod e connected ith a crank on a gear that meshes with the .ar 53, as clearly shown in Fig. 2. 55 is :1 outlet flue from the furnace into which .e nozzle 57 from the outlet pipe 56 of the ine tank projects, a valve 58 being pro- .ded to control the passage of brine from ie tank 4:0 into the pipe 55.

The pipe is fireaded into one member 59 of a ball and ipcket joint, the member 59 carrying a ..facked annular ring portion60, while the pher member 61 of the ball and socket joint 0 is a ring packing 62 to effect a tight joint. he member 61 is carried by a discharge ipe 63 'which has a distributing nogzle 65 ,1 one 'end and may be moved by handle 64 ,6 direct the hot streamagainst the'pile of snow and ice.

Any suitable elevating mechanism may be provided to .supply thejtank 4:0 with water or brine and for purposes of illustration, I have indicated an endless chain bucket con- Zvcying mechanisn'i shown particularly in m-igs. 2 and'6 of the drawings, by reference to which it will be seen that the'ndless' bucket chain conveyer includes a casiug66 in which the endless chain 66 on which the fiater elevating buckets-66F" aremo'unted'. The chain 66 passes over a sprocket 66 of' ,the shaft 67 on whichthe casing. 66 is mounted the shaft67 being supported in bearings 67 a on top of the brine tank 40, and is driven from a countershaft 68 that is driven from a loose gear pulley 70 on the shaft 18 through an endless chain orbelt 69, the pulley 70 being adapted to be interlocked with the shaft 48 by the clutch 71 when the lever 72 is moved to bring the clutch 71 into engagement with the pulley .or sprocket 70. 0

73 is a flexible connection between the eas- \ng 66 at its delivery end and the brine tank 0, whereby the conveyer may deposit the 'ater into the brine tank.

In order that Fthe conveyer 66 may be oved around it is provided with handles 7 4 d the bearing 67 is made to have a limit- ,AL" sliding movement. While I have shown lthis construction of endless conveyer water elevator, I. desire it understood that any other suitably constructed water elevator may be used, if desired.

1 7 5 designates a covered opening into the ,jtank LO-through which the salt may be de- 'posited, if desired, or the salt solution or brine may be directly pumped ,or conveyed nto, the tank 10, either by thepllmo .49 or AVAILABLE COPY In the practical application of my invention, the snow and ice to be melted are preferably shoveled up into piles along the gutter, as shown in Fig. l of the drawings. A suitable fire is built in the combustion chamber 32 of the furnace 30 and is kept burning by the draft created from the fan 35. As soon as the fire is started up sufliciently the hot air and gas will pass through the pipe 55 and consequently through the pipe 63 and out through the nozzle 65 which may be directed against the pile of snow and ice, as shown in Fig. 1 of the drawings. By opening the valve 58 more or less brine will be fed into the pipe 63 to mingle with the hot air and thus the combined action of the hot air and brine on the pile of snow and ice will result in a rapid melting of the same, and prevent its 'refreezi'ng until it has had time enough to flow off into the street sewers, it being understood that the brine lowers the freezing point of the snow and ice to a considerable degree and thereby prevents refreezing underfordinary conditions.

Should thewaterelevator 66 get out of repair, the clutch 71 may be thrown into en gagement with the gear 53 and the pump 19 brought into operation and vice versa.

From the foregoing'description taken in consideration with the accompanying drawings, it is thought the complete construction, operation and advantages of my invention will be readily understood by those skilled in the art to whichthe invention appertains.

It'shouldbe; understood that the apparatus may be made of any size that may be des e 1. In an apparatus of the class described, a wheeled vehicle, a power plant mounted 011 the same, a hot air furnace mounted on said vehicle, means driven from said power plant for creating a draft through said furnace, an off-take from said furnace, a discharge pipe connected to said off-take, a nozzle on said pipe, a brine tank supported over said furnace, a valved pipe connection between said brine tank and said ofi-take, and means driven from said power plant for agitating the brine in the brine tank.

2. In an apparatus of the class described, a wheeled vehicle, a power plant mounted on the same, a hot air furnace mounted on said vehicle, means driven from said power plant for creating a draft through said furnace, an off-take from saidfurnace, a discharge pipe connected to said off-take, a'nozzle on said pipe, 2. brine tank supported over said furnace, a valved pipe-connection between said brine tank and said off-take, means driven from said power plant for agitating the brine in the brine tank, and means i" e 3 I an fafp'aratus of the class deseribec r Mama, n. \V I a wheeled vehicle, a power plant mounted on the same, a hot air furnace mounted on said vehicle, means driven from said power plant for creating a draft through said furnace, an off-take from said furnace, a discharge pipe connected to said off-take, a nozzle on said pipe, a brine tank supported over said furnace, a valved pipe connection between said brine tank and said off-take, means driven from said power plant for agitating the brine in the brine tank, and means driven from said power plant for driving said vehicle.

4-. In an apparatus of the class described, a wheeled vehicle, a power plant mounted on the same, a hot air furnace mounted on said vehicle, means driven from said power plant for creating a draft through said furnace, an off-take from said furnace, a discharge pipe connected to said off-take, a nozzle on said pipe, a brine tank supported over said furnace, a valved pipe connection between said brine tank and said off-take, means driven from said power plant for agitating the brine in the brine tank, and means driven from said power plant for conveying water to said brine tank, and means driven from said power plant for driving said vehicle.

5. In an apparatus of the class described.

a wheeled vehicle, a power plant including an engine mounted on said vehicle, transmission gearing between. said engine and the drive wheels of said vehicle, a steering mechanism for said vehicle, a furnace car ried on said vehicle, a pump for effecting a forced draft in said furnace, means for driving said pump from said engine, an outlet from said furnace, a discharge pipe and nozzle swivelly connected to said outlet, a brine tank mounted on said furnace, a valved pipe connection between said brine tank and said outlet, a stirring mechanism in said brine tank, power transmission mechanism be tween said stirring mechanism and said engine, a pump for pumping water into said brine tank, power transmission mechanism between said engine and said pump, a water elevator for conveying water into said brine tank, power transmission mechanism be tween said water elevator and said engine, and a clutch device for bringing either said pump power transmission or said water elevator power transmission mechanism into operative connection with said engine.

JOSEPH MEINDL. Vitnesses FRED J. MEINDL, GUS. C. MATER. 

